Described are systems, methods, and computer program products for facilitating user access to virtual reality (VR) containers. A VR container registry may identify any type of container and optionally list requirements for accessing the container, constraints relating to when access is permitted, characteristics describing container features, lists of other containers accessible from within the container, container output formats, accepted input formats, etc. The registry may be organized in a hierarchical structure, make use of or be comparable to a domain name system, and include one or more top-level items each having one or more second-level items organized beneath. A service provider may host a VR container to facilitate user access to other VR containers, allow users to transfer between unconnected remote VR containers while staying within a VR session or without having to exit all VR sessions, and provide transformation services to ensure container and VR system compatibility.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method, comprising: instantiating, by a computing device, a registry of virtual containers, wherein the registry includes a plurality of entries, wherein each entry corresponds to a virtual container, and wherein each entry includes one or more of: an identifier associated with the virtual container, a requirement associated with the virtual container, a constraint associated with the virtual container, and a characteristic associated with the virtual container; receiving, by the computing device, an addendum query for adding a new entry to the registry, wherein the addendum query includes one or more of an addendum identifier for the new entry, an addendum requirement for the new entry, an addendum constraint for the new entry, and an addendum characteristic for the new entry; adding the new entry to the registry, wherein the new entry includes one or more of the addendum identifier, the addendum requirement, the addendum constraint, and the addendum characteristic; and receiving, by the computing device, a change query for modifying an existing entry in the registry, wherein the change query includes one or more of a new or changed identifier for the existing entry, a new or changed requirement for the existing entry, a new or changed constraint for the existing entry, and a new or changed characteristic for the existing entry; modifying the existing entry in the registry in include one or more of the new or changed identifier for the existing entry, the new or changed requirement for the existing entry, the new or changed constraint for the existing entry, and the new or changed characteristic.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a virtual container corresponds to a particular virtual reality world hosted on a network accessible server.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, by the computing device, a query for identifying one or more virtual containers from the registry, wherein the query includes at least one of an identifier query, a requirement query, a constraint query, and a characteristic query; determining, by the computing device, one or more query results, wherein query results correspond to entries in the registry having identifiers that match the identifier query, requirements that match the requirement query, constraints that match the constraint query, or characteristics that match the characteristic query; and generating, by the computing device, an output corresponding to the one or more query results.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the query corresponds to an initial filtering request for identifying one or more virtual containers accessible to a user.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier corresponds to one or more of a name associated with the virtual container, an owner associated with the virtual container, a network address associated with the virtual container, a unique identifier associated with the virtual container, a domain associated with the virtual container, a version number associated with the virtual container, and a registrant associated with the virtual container.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the requirement corresponds to access limitations imposed by the virtual container for obtaining access to the virtual container.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the requirement corresponds to hardware requirements associated with the virtual container or software requirements associated with the virtual container.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the requirement corresponds to indications of required user characteristics for obtaining access to the virtual container.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the constraint corresponds to limitations for receiving query results corresponding to the virtual container and for obtaining access to the virtual container.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the constraint corresponds to one or more of an age limit associated with the virtual container, a language associated with the virtual container, and time limits associated with the virtual container.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic corresponds to one or more of a descriptor associated with the virtual container, an authentication indicator describing whether the virtual container requires authentication, indicators of permitted uses for the virtual container, an indicator of other virtual containers accessible from within the virtual container, and a language associated with the virtual container.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic corresponds to one or more portal representations for use in representing an entry point to the virtual container.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of entries are organized in the registry in a hierarchical structure.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the hierarchical structure includes a plurality of top-level items, each associated with a particular virtual container identifier or characteristic.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein each top-level item includes a plurality of entries organized beneath the top-level item, wherein the plurality of entries each relate to the particular virtual container identifier or characteristic associated with the top-level item.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein each top-level item includes one or more second-level item organized beneath the top-level item, wherein the one or more second-level items each relate to different characteristics, and wherein each second-level item includes a plurality of entries organized beneath the second-level item, wherein the plurality of entries each relate to the characteristic associated with the second-level item.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the registry makes use of a domain name server structure.
18. A system, comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium in data communication with the one or more processors, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: instantiating, by a computing device, a registry of virtual containers, wherein the registry includes a plurality of entries, wherein each entry corresponds to a virtual container, and wherein each entry includes one or more of: an identifier associated with the virtual container, a requirement associated with the virtual container, a constraint associated with the virtual container, and a characteristic associated with the virtual container; receiving an addendum query for adding a new entry to the registry, wherein the addendum query includes one or more of an addendum identifier for the new entry, an addendum requirement for the new entry, an addendum constraint for the new entry, and an addendum characteristic for the new entry; adding the new entry to the registry, wherein the new entry includes one or more of the addendum identifier, the addendum requirement, the addendum constraint, and the addendum characteristic; receiving a change query for modifying an existing entry in the registry, wherein the change query includes one or more of a new or changed identifier for the existing entry, a new or changed requirement for the existing entry, a new or changed constraint for the existing entry, and a new or changed characteristic for the existing entry; and modifying the existing entry in the registry in include one or more of the new or changed identifier for the existing entry, the new or changed requirement for the existing entry, the new or changed constraint for the existing entry, and the new or changed characteristic.
19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: instantiating a registry of virtual containers, wherein the registry includes a plurality of entries, wherein each entry corresponds to a virtual container, and wherein each entry includes one or more of: an identifier associated with the virtual container, a requirement associated with the virtual container, a constraint associated with the virtual container, and a characteristic associated with the virtual container; receiving an addendum query for adding a new entry to the registry, wherein the addendum query includes one or more of an addendum identifier for the new entry, an addendum requirement for the new entry, an addendum constraint for the new entry, and an addendum characteristic for the new entry; adding the new entry to the registry, wherein the new entry includes one or more of the addendum identifier, the addendum requirement, the addendum constraint, and the addendum characteristic; receiving a change query for modifying an existing entry in the registry, wherein the change query includes one or more of a new or changed identifier for the existing entry, a new or changed requirement for the existing entry, a new or changed constraint for the existing entry, and a new or changed characteristic for the existing entry; and modifying the existing entry in the registry in include one or more of the new or changed identifier for the existing entry, the new or changed requirement for the existing entry, the new or changed constraint for the existing entry, and the new or changed characteristic.
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December 29, 2017
November 10, 2020
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